ptrap: Stinky Laundry Room? Stinky Bathroom? Check Your Traps. - 08/21/12 08:44 PM
Have you noticed any foul odors in your basement that you just can't get to the bottom of?  It might be sewer gases coming in to your home.  Every plumbing fixture needs to be equipped with a trap, which is basically a dip in a pipe that water fills up.  This water sitting in the trap is what prevents sewer gases from coming in to your home.  The photo below shows a "P-trap" - this is the type of trap you'll find below sinks, showers, and bath tubs.

Toilets have their own built in traps, and so do floor drains.  The … (32 comments)